VISITORS can explore a Tudor country house by candlelight and enjoy mulled wine as part of a tour which will shine a light into the shadowy corners of the Gunpowder Plot.
Coughton Court by candlelight is part of an evening experience at the grade I Tudor property, owned by the National Trust but managed directly by the Throckmorton family.
The Throckmorton family is closely linked to Throckmorton, near Pershore, before the senior branch became established at Coughton in the 15th century.
The event at the stately home near Alcester on Saturday, November 7 will give guests the chance to see the historic property in a different light, combining a candlelit tour with seasonal refreshments and storytelling.
The evening, which costs £25 per tikcet, begins in the Coach House, where visitors will be served warm mulled cider and freshly served Gunpowder cake.
Guests will then be guided into Coughton Court as twilight falls and candles illuminate the property.
READ MORE: How to pronounce Coughton Court – ex-National Trust site
The tour will take visitors through the rooms of the historic house, highlighting architectural details and period features along the way.
Stories about the property’s past will also form part of the experience, with soft lighting intended to create an atmospheric setting as visitors make their way through the building.
Organisers describe the event as combining “warmth, history and a touch of intrigue”.
READ MORE: Meet family who run former National Trust’s Coughton Court
The mastermind of the 1605 plot was Robert Catesby who was related to the Throckmortons, prominent Catholic recusants. Thomas Throckmorton, who owned Coughton Court at the time, remained Catholic under Elizabeth I and James I and faced imprisonment, restrictions and large fines for refusing to conform to the established Church.
Coughton Court was not where the gunpowder was stored or where the plan to blow up Parliament was carried out. Instead, it formed part of the Catholic family and support network surrounding the conspirators.
